Category: Giveaway/Contest

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Winter’s Favorite Giveaway Day~~28

Welcome to Day 28 of Winter’s Favorites.
I am pleased to welcome the wonderful Kaye Spencer to that blog.  Kaye wrote a flash fic story just for us.  Take it away Kaye.
Romance Valley by Kaye Spencer
Last week he’d had an epiphany: Wife-napping was the solution to his dilemma. She’d never agree to his plan anyway, so for him, it was a reasonable strategy, especially since he wasn’t willing to begin another new year—only three days away—with the same regrets that had followed him into the current year.
He watched the main road from his sofa in his second story den, his attention fixed on the car coming slowly up the half-mile, winding private driveway. The antique clock in the hallway chimed a reminder that she was later than usual. Naturally—Murphy’s Law. Tonight of all nights, when he didn’t have time to spare, she’d stayed even longer at the office…again. For the past month, he’d worked in collusion with her administrative assistant and paralegal team to rearrange her schedule so they could cover her work until the end of January—if it took that long. He’d encouraged and supported her on her way to the full partnership she’d earned, but on Thanksgiving when her workaholic schedule had found her at the office and not at the family dinner, he knew he had to do something.
It was the proverbial now or never moment. Standing, he shrugged into his heavy coat then made his way in the dark to the balcony doors and onto the wooden deck. He paused to breathe in the cold December air as he looked up at the blue-white brilliance of the stars shining in a moonless sky. They used to take walks together on nights like this. Sadly, they’d lost that connection somehow, and he wanted it back.
Slipping down the stairs to ground level, he took his predetermined position in the shadows at the corner of the garage. The automatic doors rolled up, and she coasted into the garage. He was already on the move when she turned off the motor then was standing beside her door when she opened it and stepped out.
“Hello, babe. I’ve got a surprise for you.”
“What—?”
Before she could grab her purse—and more importantly—her cell phone, he snatched her from behind and heaved her over his shoulder with enough force that it broke off her gasping protest for a few seconds—but only for a few.
In a half-dozen long strides, he made it to the rear of his pickup truck with the garage door lowering behind them. With their nearest neighbor a mile away, he wasn’t concerned that anyone would hear her railing outrage and come to investigate, and he dumped her literally kicking and screaming onto the foam mattress he’d laid out in the back of his pickup. He’d practiced closing the tailgate and slamming the camper shell door down until he could do it in one fluid motion, so he smoothly locked her in before she had the opportunity to escape.
Sliding behind the wheel, he started the engine, put it in gear, and headed toward the main road. He adjusted the rearview mirror in the center of the windshield until he had a clear view through the back window and into the pickup bed. The cab light gave off an adequate glow to see her sitting amidst their luggage, her back against the tailgate, arms folded across her chest, and glaring daggers at him. He chuckled. At least she’d settled down and wasn’t cussing and calling him names anymore.
Glancing at the speedometer, he backed off. Granted, he was on a little-traveled back road, but he couldn’t afford the delay of being pulled over. As it was, they’d barely arrive at the rendezvous location on time. Besides, he didn’t doubt for a minute she’d pitch a fit to be set free, and he knew her influence with the local police trumped his ability to fast-talk his way out of what would likely appear as a suspicious situation.
All things considered, his plan was unfolding with proverbial clockwork precision. In a few hours, he’d have her to himself. No phone calls, no text messages, no computers. No interruptions at all. That’s when they’d begin negotiations. He’d already determined his bottom-line, so the outcome of this excursion really depended upon her. It was long past time to reassess their priorities. Not so many years ago, they’d talked of having children, but somewhere along the way, life and ambition had interfered, and they’d lost sight of that part of their lives.
Satisfied and just a little smug, he patted the brochure on the seat beside him. He knew the content by heart.
Yearning for a vacation with that special someone? Needing to breathe new romance into a stale relationship? Wanting private time together to rediscover why you fell in love? Romance Valley is the perfect, intimate and secluded mountain valley haven for a couple’s retreat. Whether for a long weekend tryst or for an extended holiday, your personal Romance Valley planner will assist in designing an ultimate romantic getaway experience that not only meets your budget, but also fulfills your deepest desires. Your personal planner will handle all the details so you don’t have to.
It was a drastic move, but their marriage was teetering on the ragged edge of death-by-neglect, and one or both of them would likely succumb to infidelity-out-of-loneliness if something didn’t change soon. In his mind, there was no way to repair a relationship once the cheating line was crossed. Broken trust was a wound that would never truly heal, but only fester.
With a quick check on the time and another glance in the mirror at his disgruntled captive, he pressed his foot on the accelerator. The optimistic hope of rekindled love arriving with the New Year welled in his heart. For better or worse…Romance Valley, here we come.
Romance Valley © 2011 by Kaye Spencer
Find Kaye here:
Website: http://www.kayespencer.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000877686603
To enter for a chance to win an E-book of one of Kaye’s back list books. Please leave Kaye a comment, tell her what you are most looking forward to in 2012, then head over to the MAIN Winter’s Favorite page (<< — Click link) to enter the giveaway.
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Winter’s Favorite Giveaway Day~~27

Welcome to Day 27 of Winter’s Favorites.
I have the wonderful Cari Quinn on the blog today.
Big thanks to Kelly for having me here today!
My favorite thing about winter has to be that first pristine snowfall, when everything looks so beautiful and fresh and clean outside. For some reason snow insulates to the point that everything seems hushed. It’s almost as if you can hear each individual snowflake hit the ground. I love the way the trees glisten and sparkle with the flakes and how if you look up at a streetlight, the snow crystals seem trapped in the glow. Although where I live in central NY – snow capital of medium-sized cities in the United States – we get many, many snowfalls a year. So many that I soon get tired of all the white stuff. Still that first one is amazing!
What about you? Do you love snow? How about driving in it? Someday I’ll get a big rugged Chevy Silverado truck and it won’t bother me to drive it in anymore.
Leave a comment telling me your feelings about snow, love it or hate it, and you’ll be entered to win your choice of ebooks from my backlist (including my new m/m/f holiday release, UNWRAPPED!)
Visit Cari Quinn at www.cariquinn.com
To enter for a chance to win an E-book copy of Unwrapped. Please leave Cari a comment, tell her what you love or hate about snow, then head over to the MAIN Winter’s Favorite page (<< — Click link) to enter the giveaway.
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Winter’s Favorite Giveaway Day~~26

Welcome to Day 26 of Winter’s Favorites.
We have two very special ladies on the blog today.
 The wonderful team of Gayle Donnelly and Robyn Mackenzie 
(aka Donnelly Mackenzie)
Mitch Miller and Pecans!!
When Kelly asked me to write something about my favorite thing during Christmas, my mind immediately went to Mitch Miller and pecans.
OK.  I know I need to explain because one doesn’t normally think of those two subjects together so here goes……
When I was little, every day after Thanksgiving, my mother would wake us all up with Mitch Miller blaring over the stereo system (and yes, I mean a literal stereo with a turntable and everything!)  For those of you that don’t know who Mitch Miller is, go to iTunes and listen up.  It is one of the BESTEST Christmas albums I have EVER heard!
Anyway, it was tradition to wake up early, eat breakfast, and then spend the day decorating the house for Christmas.  Now one thing about my mother is….she is the Queen of Christmas!  Her living room looks like something that should be in Southern Living and every year, it gets even better.  The ornaments were handmade goose, chicken, and ostrich eggs, cut out and decorated like you wouldn’t believe.  Here is a photo of one that has survived all these years:
Anyway (again), that day was always one of my favorites.  We would flit around the house, decorating and singing Christmas songs.  I never really liked Barbara Streisand but her Christmas album rocks as well.
Now, to the pecans.  My mother makes the BEST pecan balls on the face of the earth.  I can remember coming home from school, going straight to the pantry, grabbing a Christmas tin and eating as many as I could (yes, I was young and skinny and could do this type of crap!)  They would melt in your mouth and the more powdered sugar, the better!! 
Now, I make the same cookies with my daughters and they have a blast using the chopper on the fresh pecans they get from my in-law’s lake house.  It’s now their job to roll the dough and then cover with sugar while they’re still warm from the oven.  The pecan balls are always the first cookie to be eaten up till they’re all gone.
If you are interested in making and tasting the BESTEST pecan ball EVER…..here is the recipe:
Pecan Balls
1 C Butter
1/2 C sifted powdered sugar
2 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 C flour
1/8 tsp salt
2 C pecans – chopped
Bowl of powdered sugar on the side
Preheat oven to 325
Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla
Sift flour and salt into mixture
Add nuts
Roll into small balls
Bake for 20 minutes
Let cool and roll in powdered sugar
Thanks to Kelly and to all of you and I wish you and your families peace and happiness during this holiday time!
If you liked anything in this post, PLEASE comment for a chance to win a copy of Infinite Betrayal ~ Book 1 of the Infinity Series – recently nominated by Romantic Times as one of the Best Indie Paranormal Romance Novels of 2012!!

To enter for a chance to win an E-book copy of Infinite Betrayal. Please leave Donnelly Mackenzie a comment, tell them you favorite holiday treat, then head over to the MAIN Winter’s Favorite page (<< — Click link) to enter the giveaway.
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Winter’s Favorite Giveaway Day~~25

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!
Welcome to Day 25 of Winter’s Favorites.
Today on the blog we have one of the FUNNIEST authors I have had the pleasure of getting to know, Darynda Jones.
We also have the very talented m/m author Lee Brazil!!!
I will step aside and let them have the floor.
D, you are up first:
My Favorite Thing about Winter
If I were Lorelei Gilmore from the Gilmore Girls, I could smell my favorite thing about winter before it even arrived. Any Gilmore fan would know from that clue that it’s snow. Living in the Southwest, I don’t get to see a lot of snow, which could explain my love. But to me there is nothing more elegant or surreal as a snow falling softly on a blue-gray day.
As much as I love snow, I am certain that hot chocolate started it all. It was a process, really. A series of events that makes me associate snow with all things warm and wonderful. When I was five, I remember sitting in my father’s lap by the fireplace while the snow was falling outside, our living room adrift with the scent of burning wood. My brothers and I had cut wire hangers and were stuffing marshmallows onto them to roast in the fire while an animated Christmas tale was playing on the television. My father had to help me with my marshmallows. They would catch fire and I would squeal and run away until he blew it out. But he always saved the gooey remains for me. I remember his hands, strong and loving and safe. The highlight of the evening, the piece de resistance, came later when my mother brought over hot chocolate, thick and smooth and warm.
That evening, as I sat wrapped in my father’s arms, I ate roasted marshmallows and drank hot chocolate while watching the snow fall outside. And the world was a perfect place. Later, after everyone went to bed, I snuck to my bedroom window to watch the snow fall some more, but it had stopped. In its place was a crisp, blue night and a fresh blanket of white. But the most amazing thing about the snow was how it sparkled in the moonlight. Thousands of tiny lights shimmered on the ground and in the trees. I had never seen anything so beautiful in my life.
My father died shortly after, but I have never forgotten his hands or the feeling of being wrapped in his arms. I have never forgotten the way the burning wood smelled that night, or the taste of those roasted marshmallows. And I have never forgotten the way the snow sparkled with promise and shimmered with hope.
So, yeah, snow. That’s my favorite thing about winter. 

Lee Brazil please tell us your favorite thing about winter: 

My Favorite Cocoa
Hi, thanks for having me here at Books-n-Kisses!  *blows kisses* I’m Lee Brazil, author of m/m romance from Breathless Press and member of the Story Orgy. I’m here today to do some promotional stuff for Story Orgy’s anthology from Breathless Press, Word Play.
By that, *sips coffee* I mean I’m going to talk about my favorite cocoa recipe and leave you with a few blurbs for the stories in the anthology.
When I was a kid, we lived in a scattering of states where snow was common and cold lasted from October through April. We didn’t let snow and cold keep us from playing outside, and my parents sure didn’t let it keep us from doing chores outside.
There’s nothing quite like taking out the trash when you have to put on your boots and coat and gloves and wade through two feet of snow to pout the bags in the outdoor cans. Frozen metal cans, that is. The chill seeps through any number of layers of gloves.
 You don’t know what cold is until you’ve shoveled a quarter mile driveway.
My mom had a cure for that. She made the cold disappear with homemade hot chocolate. I’m not sure if there was instant cocoa available back then- but I know my mom didn’t use it. We’d come back in form shoveling and there’d be a pot on the stove bubbling away, chasing away cold with a warm rush of chocolate scent that seeped into your bones before you took the first sip.
Here’s that recipe.
Cocoa
1/3 cup of cocoa powder (unsweetened)
½ cup of sugar ( use more if you like it sweeter)
1 pinch of salt
1/3 cup of boiling water
4 cups of milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine the dry ingredients in a sauce pan and mix well. Whisk in boiling water. Bring to a boil . Simmer and stir for two minutes.
Add milk. Heat, but do not allow to boil. 
Stir in vanilla.
Divide into four mugs. Top with whip cream or mini marshmallows.
And here’s how we serve it today at our house…
This is sometimes called a Snowplow. 
To 8 oz of cocoa, ad 1 oz of Bailey’s Irish crème, 1 oz of Malibu rum, ½ oz crème de cacao, and a dash of cinnamon. 
You can top that with whip cream too if you want…
Whichever you like, cocoa is a certain favorite in this winter holiday season! 
Happy Holidays to all of you!
Word Play
By
Story Orgy
From Breathless Press
I’m thinking that all of us will at one time or another need each others blurbs for Word Play – especially on my new handy dandy page I created on my blog!  *heads desk giggling*
So maybe we should post them all here?
Havan Fellows
Harlan’s Ryde
Ryder made a mistake Harlan can’t forgive.  Will Ryder cross a line no man should cross to obtain a second chance?
Ryder Halloway made a life changing decision about his relationship with Harlan when he was young and stupid.  Thanks to one rash moment, he lost it all.  He lost the only man he would ever love, his drive to even try to finish college and his zest for life.
Seven years later finds him in front of Harlan’s house preparing to take back what he lost with a vengeance.    He’s prepared to use all the tricks in his arsenal to plow through every wall, protest and excuse Harlan might come up with.
Of course, he never expected Harlan to put him in the hospital …
Harlan Mychels had his heart broken in college by the popular Ryder.  He learned his lesson about love and since then hasn’t allowed anyone even remotely close to his heart.  Then one morning he turns and sees the one person able to tear his walls down and destroy what is left of it.
He uses every defensive tactic in his possession to keep Ryder at arm’s length, but Ryder is persistent.  Harlan’s not sure if he can stay safe from heartache … and he starts wondering what the real heartache is – letting Ryder in again … or letting him go for good.
Em Woods
Harper’s Discovery
When Harper finally sees the light and dumps his cheating boyfriend, can Pitt convince Harper to trust him enough to let it all go?
When Harper Evans discovers his boyfriend in yet another bar with yet another Joe, he makes the final break and kicks him out. More relieved than heart-broke, Harper turns his attention to the letter burning a hole in his pocket that could mean a fresh start across the country.
Pitt Mullen has been looking for just such an opportunity and pounces on it – and Harper – when it shows up. But not everything is as it appears. When Pitt gets a late night call and rushes to another, will Harper understand or cut his ties before he listens to the truth? 
Hank Edwards
Wicked Reflection
A sexy, bad boy neighbor, a handsome detective investigating an unsolved murder, and ghostly warnings help Kirk uncover the deadly secret within his new house.
Kirk Stanford’s realtor never mentioned certain features of his new home during the walk through, such as mysterious rooms and brutal secrets. All Kirk knows is he has a lot of unpacking to do and a handsome, bad boy neighbor seems to have taken an interest in him.
But then the warnings begin to appear, written in steam on the bathroom mirror. At first, Kirk dismisses the messages, but when a prowler attempts to break into his house, and a handsome private detective shows up asking questions about the murder, Kirk realizes how much danger he is in. He’s invested too much money in his new house to just walk away, so his only choice now is to figure out for himself who the murderer is and what he still wants out of his house.
Dark secrets come to light and Kirk is forced to put his trust in a supernatural presence as he fights to survive.
Lee Brazil
The Park at Sunrise
First they were three, now there are two.
Can Jason and Morgan make a relationship work without Paul?
For years the three of them had been inseparable, first as friends, then lovers. It’s been ten years since they parted for what was supposed to be a year apart to pursue their dreams.   This isn’t the reunion they planned then.  It’s nine years too late for one thing, and they are one man short for another.
In the years since Paul’s death, Morgan hasn’t exactly been waiting for Jason to reach out to him.    He’s been too busy trying to forget, to move on.  Until Jason sends the right message. Is the painting just an excuse to see his ex again? 
JR Boyd
Off the Beaten Path
 Best Friends and landscaping entrepreneurs, Mitch Sterling and Colby Merritt, enjoy their comradeship. Can scouting country roads for business opportunities unveil a lifetime of passion?
 Best friends, Mitch Sterling and Colby Merritt have spent their whole lives together in a small town in the Hill Country of Texas. At twenty-four, the two entrepreneurs run a small landscaping company. Mitch works out in the field, leading the landscaping crews and getting his hands dirty. Colby uses his college education to handle the business aspect of the company from their office.
Outside work, the two can always be found together. A Saturday morning drive leads them to a dirt road that neither has ever traveled. With the help of a few beers, the hot Texas sun, and a secluded country pond, Mitch and Colby find themselves exploring new territory Off the Beaten Path.
To enter for a chance to win a signed copy of First Grave on the Left by Darynda or one of Lee’s backlist books.  Please leave Darynda & Lee a comment, tell them your favorite way to drink Hot Chocolate. then head over to the MAIN Winter’s Favorite page (<< — Click link) to enter the giveaway.
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Winter’s Favorite Giveaway Day~~24

Welcome to Day 24 of Winter’s Favorites.
I am pleased to welcome Dianne Hartsock back to the blog.
Dianne, has written a special Christmas story just for Shelton and she is sharing it with us today..
Merry Christmas, Shelton
“Hush, love. Slower. We have to make this last.”
            Shelton drew a ragged breath and tried to calm a body driven wild with passion. Nevil pushed deeper inside him and pleasure sent his mind reeling. A tingle began in his fingers and raced along his nerves, all his energy gathering in his balls and the erection being stroked by Nevil’s skillful hands.
            He blinked, distracted by the Christmas lights flashing in his eyes and over Nevil’s beautiful face above him. He lost control then, his body demanding release.
            “I can’t…” he warned even as his penis jerked in Nevil’s hands. Nevil gripped Shelton’s hips and thrust madly into him, catching up and sending them both into heaven.
*  *  *  *
Shelton rested his chin on his hand as he watched the snow come down harder outside the window. It had begun to stick to the sidewalks. The roads would be next.
“Any news?”
Shelton glanced across the table at the young man opposite him then back to the text message on his phone. “The airport’s still open, but they’re worried about ice. Nevil’s plane doesn’t land for another hour and might be diverted. Damn this snow.”
“It’s Christmas Eve. They don’t dare close the airport.”
“From your lips to…”
“Anything else, sir?”
            Shelton looked up into pale blue eyes, clear and earnest as they met his. Men shouldn’t be allowed such pretty eyes, especially surrounded by soft layers of dark hair cut in a bob at the chin.
            “I’m fine, Eran,” he said, reading the man’s name tag. “Paul?”
            Paul gave the waiter his most gorgeous smile. “Can I have another espresso?” They both reached for his empty cup and Eran pulled his hand back as if stung. Color flooded his cheeks and he murmured an apology and hastened across the room, retreating behind the counter.
            Shelton dragged his attention from the snow piling up outside to study his companion’s face. “Why don’t you ask him out?”
            “What?”
            “Don’t play innocent! You’ve been inviting me here after work for the last two weeks, then ignore me whenever you catch a glimpse of the beautiful Eran.”
            “Sorry, dear. Feeling neglected?”
            Shelton snorted. “Save your lines for Eran. But Nevil’s coming home and I won’t be able to play chaperone anymore.”
            Paul’s hazel eyes widened at a sudden thought. “I bet he thinks we’re dating. Shit.”
            Shelton felt the heat in his face. “He does not.”
A smile curled Paul’s lips. Shelton wasn’t sure he liked the teasing gleam in the green eyes. “Shelton, you’re delicious. If I hadn’t sworn off older men I’d definitely be attracted. Eran must be playing it cool because he thinks I’m with you.”
            “I could leave,” Shelton said hopefully, then realized he was talking to himself as Eran approached with Paul’s coffee. The young man gracefully skirted the crowded tables, slim in dark jeans and tee-shirt and the green apron tied around his hips.
            Paul seemed mesmerized as he took the drink from Eran. Eran nodded at his murmured thanks and lingered to wipe the edge of their table with a rag. Shelton kicked Paul in the shins.
            “Owe. I mean, I’m Paul.” Paul held out his hand. Eran colored slightly as he shook it.
            “This is my co-worker, Shelton,’ Paul continued, waving in Shelton’s direction. “I’m keeping him company while his lover’s out of town on business.”
            He hastened to explain as Shelton laughed and Eran raised a brow. “I mean, we’re just friends. If you were wondering,” he added lamely.
            A smile touched Eran’s face and he tucked a strand of Paul’s brown hair behind an ear. “In that case, I’m off work in five minutes, if you want to meet me out front.”
            Paul gaped at him and Eran’s smile widened, showing even white teeth. Shelton saw the flick of a pink tongue before he left them. Paul turned his wide hazel eyes on Shelton. “Did you hear him? Was I dreaming?”
            “Merry Christmas. Now go on. You don’t want to keep him waiting.” He waved Paul away as he hesitated. “I can catch a cab when I’m ready to go.”
            “Thanks.” Paul grabbed up his coat and surprised Shelton with a kiss on the cheek as he hurried off.
            Shelton put a hand on his cheek and remembered other, more exciting lips that had burned along his jaw and burrowed against his throat.
            “I don’t want you to go,” he’d murmured and held Nevil’s naked body closer in his arms.
            “I don’t want to go, either. But I’ll be back for Christmas. Now kiss me goodbye. And don’t forget to water the Christmas tree while I’m gone.”
            They’d lingered over a kiss, then Nevil untangled from him, giving Shelton’s spent cock a last gentle squeeze before climbing to his feet. Shelton watched the play of colored lights on Nevil’s body as he dressed, already lonely for him.
            Shelton blinked away the memory and looked at his phone. Still another twenty minutes before Nevil’s plane landed. He watched the snow thicken outside the window and said a silent prayer for everyone traveling that night. God, he just wanted Nevil home safely.
            He jumped when a snow covered coat was thrown onto an empty chair and he raised his face to meet turquoise eyes full of fire.
            “Nevil?” he whispered and hastily cleared his throat.
            For answer Nevil pulled Shelton up into his embrace. Shelton met his hungry lips with his own seeking tongue, needing to taste and touch and smell his lover.
            “How?” he managed between searing kisses.
            Nevil smiled into Shelton’s eyes. “I heard the weather report and managed to catch an earlier flight. Merry Christmas, love.”
            “It is, now,” Shelton assured him, holding the love of his life safe in his arms. He knew the words were terribly corny, but he meant them with all his heart.
            “Let’s go home,” Nevil whispered in his ear. “I want to unwrap you.”
            Shelton couldn’t speak; only hold Nevil’s hand as they walked out into the beautiful Christmas Eve snow together.
Dianne Hartsock
Blog: http://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/
FB: http://www.facebook.com/diannehartsock
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/diannehartsock
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4850270.Dianne_Hartsock
Shelton in Love
Breathless Press: http://www.breathlesspress.com/shelton-love
Shelton is falling hard for his best friend and roommate, finding Nevil’s dark good looks and moments of gentleness almost impossible to resist. But Nevil is more interested in affairs of the body than the heart. As Shelton’s desire for the man grows, he wonders if he can change Nevil’s mind. But does he even want to? Nevil might not stay, once he learns Shelton’s secret, and then his loneliness would be complete.
Shelton’s Promise
Breathless Press: http://www.breathlesspress.com/node/108
Shelton has a gift he’s eager to give to Nevil. At a party, Nevil flirts with one man after another, keeping Shelton on his toes. Then Percy, an ex, shows up to complicate things. Despite his best efforts, Shelton can’t find the right moment to give Nevil his gift. Will Nevil ever let Shelton get close to him, or will Shelton have to keep the gift in his pocket all evening?
Shelton’s Choice
Breathless Press: http://www.breathlesspress.com/
After a year of bliss with Nevil, Shelton is offered the promotion at the bank he’s been working towards. Unfortunately, it’s in another state and Nevil doesn’t want to move. As tension mounts between them, Shelton is given another challenge in the form of a besotted co-worker. Torn between desires, Shelton has to choose his future. That is, until Nevil takes the decision out of his hands.
To enter for a chance to win an E-book copy of either Shelton in Love or Shelton’s Promise. Please leave Dianne a comment, tell her a your most memorable holiday travel, then head over to the MAIN Winter’s Favorite page (<< — Click link) to enter the giveaway.
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Guest blog & Giveaway with Desiree Holt



Want to win a prize? Just leave a comment. I’m giving away two prizes: a copy of the book you can read about here and a $25 Gift Certificate at Amazon. Two lucky folks will be chosen January 2. But ya gotta comment to win!!!

Who says you’re too old for Santa Claus? I really don’t think there’s an age limit, is there? My favorite thing to do on Christ, beginning Christmas Eve, is something I only started about ten years ago. How many of you follow NORAD’s Santa Track?
NORAD is an acronym for the North American Air Defense, the bi-national U.S.-Canadian military organization responsible for the aerospace and maritime defense of the United States and Canada.
It all began in 1955 when a Sears store in Colorado Springs mistakenly printed the phone number for NORAD instead of Santa’s Hot Line. The Director of Operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, decided technology could only improve tradition. He set his staff to checking the radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. Children who called were given updates on his location, and a tradition was born.
Now each year NORAD now puts the Santa Track on the Internet. Millions of people who want to know Santa’s whereabouts can visit the NORAD Tracks Santa website. NORAD uses four high-tech systems to track Santa – radar, satellites, Santa cams and fighter jets.
Want to track Santa? I know I do. It’s become a tradition at our house. Just go to Google Earth and type Track Santa in the search box. Go on. It’s fun!

And while you’re tracking Santa, have a cup of eggnog with rum liberally added and read about a great Christmas romance in HE CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR. One of the stories in  MADAME EVE’S 1 NIGHT STAND CHRISTMAS ANTHOLOGY from Decadent Publishing. Available from all your online bookstore as well as www.decadentpublishing.com

Blurb:

Cody Alvarez needed to find a wife by Christmas or he would lose the ranch his uncle left to him. Libby Morris just needed, for once in her life, to feel desired. Sensual. Appealing. Especially after an intense reshaping at a high-end spa. Invited to Christmas Week at the Castillo Lodge in Alaska by Madame Eve of 1Night Stand, Cody and Libby were not given the names of the partners chosen for them. As they were forced to wait until they learned who their one-night stands were, they discovered an incredible spark of chemistry and a connection stronger than either had experienced before. Would spending a very erotic night together ruin their arrangements or give them another option?
Excerpt:
“I’m not very good at this,” she said slowly.
He squeezed her hand gently. “At eating dinner?”
She shook her head, still not looking at him. “At…small talk. Dating. Things like this.” Her cheeks felt so hot she thought they must match her lipstick.
“Libby?” Cody’s voice barely penetrated the fog of embarrassment. And he still had hold of her hand.  “Libby, look at me.”
Reluctantly she raised her eyes.
“I’m going to order us each another drink and then I’d be interested to find out why someone as beautiful and sexy as you has trouble in a social situation like this. Surely you must be beating the men off with a stick.”
She made herself breath evenly. She might as well tell him. They’d never see each other again and maybe he could give her some moral support. Besides, he made her feel comfortable, something her assigned date night not do.
The waiter cleared their dessert dishes, brought another glass of wine for her and bourbon on the rocks for Cody. He touched his glass to hers.
“To us. Two people enjoying a nice dinner.”
She laughed at that and swallowed some wine.
“Now. Let’s have it. What’s got you skittish as a newborn calf?”
“You’ll laugh at me.”
He smiled. “Darlin’, the last thing I’ll do is laugh. I promise.”
She took another gulp of wine. “Well, they say it’s easier to tell things to a stranger.”
“Oh, but we’re not strangers,” he protested. “Are we? We spent all that time on the plane together, right? But Libby? It’s still all right to talk to me. Tell me.” 
She drained her wine glass and held it out. “C-Could I have another drink? Please?”
Cody laughed. “Yes, but then I’m cutting you off. I don’t want anyone to accuse me of getting you drunk and taking advantage of you.”
Her breath caught in her throat. “I…You…”
He signaled for the waiter then picked up her hand again. She wished he’d never drop it. It felt so good and secure.
“Breathe,” he teased gently. “It’s okay. Just relax. If you don’t want to say anything you don’t have to. Really.”
“I’ve been fat and frumpy and boring all my life,” she blurted out then wished she could dive under the table. When he didn’t say anything she made herself look up and saw him staring at her. “What?”
He cleared his throat. “Libby. I have to say that those are three words I would never associate with you.”
The waiter brought their drinks and she paused long enough to sip some of hers. “That’s because you didn’t know me. Even now I have a long ways to go.”
“For what?” He sounded astonished.
“For, you know. To look like everyone else.”
“Why the hell would you want that? You’re perfect the way you are.”
She snorted. “Oh, sure. That’s nice of you to say but you don’t have to be polite. I just spent two months at a spa to get to this point.” He hadn’t stopped staring at her. “That’s why I booked this thing through 1 Night Stand. A woman at the spa told me about them.” Her face heated again. “I wanted an exciting, erotic night like my girl friends talk about. An adventure. You know. Hot sex.”
Oh, god, maybe the floor would just open up and swallow her.
Cody downed his bourbon in two swallows and signaled the waiter for the check.
“Finish your wine. We’re getting out of here.”
Find me at www.desireeholt.com www.desireehot.som, @desireeholt on Twitter and /desireeholt on Facebook.


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Winter’s Favorite Giveaway Day~~22

Welcome to Day 21 of Winter’s Favorites.
Today on the blog we have the super nice DC Juris.
Hi there! ::waves:: I’m DC Juris, and I’ll be your guest blogger today! For those of you who are scratching your head at just who exactly I might be, I’m a transgender fella who writes gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and heterosexual romance, or, as I like to call it – hot smut!
Anyone who is familiar with me knows I grew up in an abusive household. Consequently, holidays were pretty much a wash. Dad would spend all day Thanksgiving Day getting drunk and yelling at the turkey smoker in the yard. Christmas time I’d get hauled off to his mother’s house, where everyone hated everyone else, and you were next! Then there was the year dad, in a typical drunken rage, kicked mom and I out on Christmas Eve and we slept in the neighbor’s car. Yeah…Let’s just say I found the phrase bah, humbug more than a little fitting.
Once I moved out on my own, I vowed to change all that. The first few years, I rebelled against the family by not going to Christmas dinner at all. They didn’t accept me anyhow, why should I bother? Then for a few years I went, but didn’t stay long. Said hi and bye to grandmother, and that was pretty much it. For a little while, I tried to make an effort. I cooked grand side dishes, festooned in colorful seasonal dishes with little Christmas trees or Santas on them. But nothing I did ever felt right.
It wasn’t until I moved in with the love of my life that the holidays took on an actual meaning for me. He had two kids, so finally I could shop for someone, watch them open presents and see them delight in their gifts. He had warm, welcoming family. We went to his mother’s house and sat around a roaring fireplace, ate until we thought we’d burst, opened thoughtful gifts (not the usual socks and sweater I’d become accustomed to). The first year of putting up our very own Christmas tree was special, too. Hubby hadn’t really done much in the way of Christmas décor since his divorce, so we had to go buy a tree (a fake one – I’m allergic to the real thing) and all the stuff to go along with it.
We also started a couple traditions of our own. Every year we search for a new elephant Christmas ornament. It’s not as easy as you might think – not every store has one. We’ve had to get really creative in finding them. This year, Hubby found one very early, at the first place he went to.
A couple years ago, I did something else that drastically changed the face of Christmas: I stopped getting together with my mother. I know that sounds horrible, but if you know anything about me, you know our relationship was strained at best. My mother has a lot of issues she won’t get help for, and she spends most of her time either belittling me, rehashing her past, or praising my father (who mentally, physically, and sexually abused me). Breaking away from my mother at the holidays has made a world of difference. I’m no longer sick with stress the week up to and the week after. And I’ve found I don’t eat as much, so I don’t pack on the holiday pounds. Go figure!
Hubby and I typically get a pizza now instead of cooking – both the kids are grown and moved out, so there’s no more hassling back and forth between their biological mother and our house, no driving out to the middle of nowhere at 9 o’clock at night to drop them off or pick them up. Nowadays, Christmas day is a lazy day, full of pizza, soda, and zombie movies on DVD.
I guess the point of this post is that, though your holiday celebration may be a little unorthodox, you have to seize it and make it your own. No matter how crazy anyone thinks you are!
Learn more about DC here
Website:  http://www.dcjuris.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dcjuris
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/dcjuris

To enter for a chance to win an E-book of DC’s back list. Please leave DC a comment, tell him what your planning on eating Christmas evening, then head over to the MAIN Winter’s Favorite page (<< — Click link) to enter the giveaway.
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Winter’s Favorite Giveaway Day~~21

Welcome to Day 21 of Winter’s Favorite.
Today I am pleased to welcome the very naughty Laura Stamps aka the Sex Witch…

Many thanks to Kelly for inviting me to participate in this event!  When she mentioned a flash fiction story I remembered a piece I had written several years ago for a literary magazine.  It was one I could update and tweak to jive with Kelly’s theme.  Woot!  So I did it.
To give you a little history, I spent over a decade as a literary fiction writer before I switched to genre fiction.  My literary short stories and poems have appeared in over 1000 literary journals, magazines, and university anthologies worldwide.
One of my fav things to write back then was flash fiction.  In those days flash fiction was around 500 words.  It was great fun to tell a hot story in so few words, and I always loved the challenge.
Enjoy!!
*************
The Beach House
Laura Stamps (c)
“Dear Goddess, I love sex.”  I’m lying on my back, nude on the deck.  Bending my knees, I allow a warm ocean breeze to fluff the hair of my drenched pussy.
This afternoon my Fey mate and I arrived in the islands for our winter holiday vacation.  When we discovered the wrap-around deck and its sunken hot tub, we laughed.  We’ve been playing in it ever since.
Dante slips into the hot tub and runs his hand along my foot and up my silky leg. 
“Mmm,” I purr, my eyes darkening with lust.  “I was born for sex.”
He smiles.  “You’re definitely a hot piece of ass, love.”
I roll over and crawl toward the hot tub, my small breasts swaying as I move.  When I reach the edge I sit and dangle my feet in the bubbling water.  
Moving between my knees, Dante grips my hips.  His shaft is erect again, the head almost purple with desire.  
My legs encircle his waist, and I press my heel against his back, guiding his thick cock home.  “Ah, nirvana…”  My mind dissolves as he stretches and fills me. 
He bends and takes my nipple into his mouth, teasing it with his tongue.  Then he reaches down and pinches my swollen clit. 
Hard.
“Shit!” I scream.  My knees squeeze his hips like a vise, while delicious waves of pleasure roll through me. 
When I stop panting, I reach back and flatten my hands on the polished floor of the deck, arching my spine to meet each of his languorous strokes.  By now his shaft is soaked with my cream as it slides in and out of my hungry cunt. 
I thrust my breasts toward him and moan with need.  I’m a cat in heat.  Dante licks one nipple, and then the other, teasing me again. 
There’s a plate of cashew-butter crackers next to us.  He selects one and feeds me with his fingers. 
“You should eat.”  The corner of his mouth lifts in a wicked grin.  “It’s gonna be a long night, baby.”
“Oh, really?”  Every time he slips a cracker into my mouth, I devour it.  My tongue swirls around his finger, and I suck until my cheeks hollow, taunting him. 
“You’re a wicked Witch,” he scolds.
I wink at him.  “Tell me something I don’t know.”
When I’m full, Dante pushes the plate away and rests his hands on my slim waist.  Slowly, he lowers his head and pulls my breast into his mouth.  I purr with delight and raise my knees to press against his firm chest, taking his shaft deeper into my greedy pussy. 
I exhale and close my eyes.  My head drops back.  I want to be impaled on his cock forever. 
When I open my eyes, I gaze at him and grin.  “Fuck me, ” I whisper.  “Fuck me like you mean it.”
Dante laughs.  “Happy holidays, love.”  He cups my ass in his strong hands and pumps into me fast and hard. 
I scream with pleasure.  Again.
Oh, how I love this man!
*************
Laura Stamps is a bestselling Pagan paranormal erotica novelist.  She writes three Pagan fiction series (The Witchery Series, The Rune Witch Series, The Manigault Vampires).  She also writes a nonfiction series about her lusty, oversexed life (The Memoir Series). She is the author of 53 books as well as the recipient of many awards, including a “Pulitzer Prize” nomination and seven“Pushcart Award” nominations. A Wiccan Faery Witch and sorceress, Laura enjoys writing novels about contemporary Pagans living in the Deep South. 
Laura Stamps 

Pagan Paranormal Erotica Novelist
(HOT vampires, shapeshifters, witches)

Kindle ebooks (all $0.99): http://ht.ly/4GPqd 

To enter for a chance to win E-book of A Vampire Kiss by Laura Stamps. Please leave Laura a comment, tell her your favorite winter memory, then head over to the MAIN Winter’s Favorite page (<< — Click link) to enter the giveaway.

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Winter’s Favorite Giveaway Day~~20

Welcome to day 20 of Winter’s Giveaways.
Today I am extremely please to share the Super Sweet Minnette Meador and the very Funny and Naughty Shayla Black.   
Minnette the floor is yours:


THE MIRACLE
by Minnette Meador
I stared out at the winter scene through my windshield, listening to my three-year-old whimpering next to me. It was Christmas Eve. The twins bundled in the back seat added their own crescendo of noise. I was crying too.

It was cold. Twenty degrees may not seem like a lot when your snug in a seventy decree house, but sitting on the side of the road in a dead car with three screaming kids was murder. I was contemplating it.

Paul had stumbled to my bed to snuggle around 2am. He was burning up. 104 degrees and I gathered the entourage and dumped everyone in the car. It was the eighties and single moms were all the rage. Man, was I broke. Childcare was eating up more than half of my income and a severe winter was not helping matters. My car had no tags, no insurance, and probably wasn’t street legal (thanks to DEQ regulations), but this was an emergency. I didn’t call 911. I think in the panic I didn’t even think of it. All I could see through the parental tunnel vision was hopping into the car and driving to the hospital.

The car died about half way there.

I pulled Paul into my lap and rocked him to keep him warm. The twins were bundled in enough blankets to warm the inside of an igloo. They finally settled down when Paul stopped crying and I searched what I could see of the deserted road for a solution to our dilemma.

There were no such things as cell phones back in those days. Rich people had mobile phones in their cars, but the rest of us didn’t. I scanned the terrain and there were only houses, darkened buildings, and silver ice on the lawns and streets. I took stock.

There is nothing so clear in your mind than finally reaching the realization, too late, that you should have made a different decision. Hindsight is always glaringly clear. After letting that thought fry my brain for a bit, I reviewed by alternatives: 1) I could knock on the door of the nearest house (about a block away) and ask for help, but I had three children in the car, twins aged 1 ½ and a three-year-old. None of them had coats or boots on and the triple stroller sat on the porch of my duplex because mom was in such a rush to get to the hospital she literally scooped and ran. 2) Leave the kids in the car and run to the house to get help, hoping nothing would happen to my kids. Just not an option. 3) Try to carry all three. Not in a million years.

I ran my hand over Paul’s forehead and pulled in a shaking breath. He was still so hot and now he was getting lethargic.

Religion is a very private thing for me. Because of that I do not discuss my religious beliefs with anyone… and I mean anyone. However, on that night, in that hour, I adopted them all. I closed my eyes and prayed to any god who would listen to me.

Before I was even done a cascade of beautiful blue and red lights filled the interior of the car. The wailing voice of an angel startled the twins awake and they bawled. Paul stirred in my arms and smiled up at me. I thought they had come for all of us.

Instead, there was a tapping on the window and a bright light filled my eyes. I rolled down the window in bliss, not really caring who it might be. I was just so happy to see someone!

“Hello, Miss.” The voice was deeply masculine. “Are you all right?”

He lowered the flashlight and I saw a gleaming badge on his pocket. His rugged kind face stared down at us and I couldn’t stop the happy tears from flowing.

I spilled the story out in one long wintry breath and he helped me get the kids into his patrol car. I don’t remember if it was a hundred or two hundred times I thanked him, that night and later in a letter to the department.

On the short ride to the hospital Paul sat on my lap his face lit up like Christmas. He chattered non-stop until we reached the emergency room. And, of course, by the time we got in to see the doctor, he was perfectly fine.

In this time of financial turmoil it is difficult sometimes to remember there are so many things to be thankful for. I had a boss once who used to be a nurse. Whenever there was a major disaster or things went terribly wrong, she would turn to me and ask, “Did anyone die?” It always calmed me down.

Happy Holidays to everyone. May you find your own strength in adversity and your own bliss in hopeful times.

DON’T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT FOR A CHANCE TO RECEIVE AN E-COPY OF THE BELLE STALKER, AN URBAN FANTASY THRILLER IN ANY E-FORMAT.
Minnette Meador is a multi-published author who lives in Portland, Oregon with one slightly used husband, a black cat formerly known as Spook, and a 4 lb. poodle. The poodle, Pierre, pretty much runs the show. Facebook – Twitter – Web Site – Blog – Contact Minnette – Amazon Author Page
Watch for her newest thriller, THE BELLE STALKER, available now in Kindle, Nook, and all other eBook formats:
THE BELL STALKER
an urban fantasy thriller
by Minnette Meador
RELEASE DATE: October 26, 2011

For a year, Belle Stark has struggled to conquer fears plaguing her since being attacked by a maniac who continues to roam free and the murder of her father. And she nearly succeeds, until she discovers her lover’s mutilated body spread over the furniture, making Belle a prime suspect. Certain her attacker is to blame, she seeks help from her ex-husband, homicide detective Mike Cranston, the one person she swore she would never let back into her life, or heart. In their hunt for answers, the two uncover more than a lunatic: a supernatural underworld hidden beneath the tall skyscrapers of the city and a secret that could kill them both. Faced with a terrible choice, Belle surrenders herself to the hands of a monster and Mike must solve an ancient mystery before it’s too late to save her—


Please welcome Shayla Black:
Happy Holidays everyone.  I hope your celebrations, no matter what they might be are happy and filled with lots of fun and love that make great memories!  I wanted to share a recipe with you, it’s an overnight coffee cake. One of my holiday favorites!

18 rising rolls, frozen

1/4 cup butter
1 3-oz pkg of slow-cook pudding in butterscotch
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cut chopped pecans (optional)
Arrange rolls in a greased bundt pan. Sprinkle dry pudding over rolls. In a sauce pan, melt butter with brown sugar. Pour over yeast rolls. Sprinkle with cinnamon and pecans. Cover pan with a dish towel and place in a cold over overnight. The next morning, cook at 325 for 25-30 minutes.

You can find Shayla here
Website: http://www.shaylablack.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ShaylaBlackAuthor
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Shayla_Black

To enter for a chance to win E-book of The Belle Stalker from Minnette or one of Shayla Blacks backlist books. Please leave Minnette & Shayla a comment, tell them your favorite holiday food, then head over to the MAIN Winter’s Favorite page (<< — Click link) to enter the giveaway.
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Winter’s Favorite Giveaway Day~~19

Welcome to day 19 of Winter’s Giveaways.

I have the WONDERFUL Kate Douglas on the blog today. I always love having Kate around she just talks and talks… She is so great. 
Okay, Kate the blog is all yours today.

I have two favorite things about the holiday season, and they definitely go together. The best part is that we all get together—our daughter and her family live about an hour away, but our son and his wife and kids are in Hawaii, so we don’t get to see them as often—and this year, we’ll be meeting our new granddaughter, Alice Cody Moore, born on Halloween, so we’re especially looking forward to their visit.
And my next favorite thing about the holidays? We almost always have snow by Christmas, and if we’re lucky, we have a lot of snow the day all the kids come to visit. Because our son’s in-laws and our daughter and her family all live in a town on the other side of the mountain from us, the kids always spend most of their visits down there and we go to see them, but at some point we always try to have everyone at our house on the mountain for a sleepover and snow day.
We have six grandchildren and a relatively small house, so it’s always a bit crowded and crazy, but always a good time. This year Luca is 10, Gracie is 7, Ella almost 6, Cole 5, Owen 3 and newborn Alice, so everyone but the baby will love the chance to go sledding on our hill.
No matter what we do in our lives or where we go, family is always the most important thing. I love my career, I love what I do, the people I meet and the places I get to go, but our family, our children and their spouses, and their children—that’s what makes everything else work. My husband and I have been married for forty years, and yet when we talk about what’s meant the most to us throughout our marriage, it all comes down to our children and their families and the love we share.
To all of you, I wish happiness and good health, love and laughter and all the best in the coming year. And thank you, Kelly, for giving me this chance to send my holiday greetings.
Kate Douglas
www.katedouglas.com
www.katedouglas.com/eroticromance
www.facebook.com/katedouglas.authorpage
twitter @wolftales
kate@katedouglas.com

To enter for a chance to win one of Kate’s books (winners choice of one of these  Wolf Tales VII, VIII, 9, 10, 11 or 12, StarFire, or NightShift).  Leave Kate a comment and tell her which of her books you would love to win, then head over to the MAIN Winter’s Favorite page (<< — Click link) to enter the giveaway.
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Winter’s Favorite Giveaway Day~~18

Welcome to day 18 of Winter’s Giveaways.

Today we have the super sweet Candy little on the blog.
Candy has been generous enough to share her new Christmas story with us.
You can find Candy’s story along with 6 other in Hearts ‘n’ Holly Anthology

Hearts’n’Holly 
Product Details
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 375 KB
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: http://www.xoxopublishing.com 
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B0069C7T9I
Order here: Amazon 

An anthology full of sensual and erotic love stories for the holiday season.
Featuring
Christmas is all about love, and do you know of a better Christmas gift than a true heart-to-heart connection? XoXo Publishing proudly presents Hearts and Holly, a Christmas compendium of romantic stories. Represented here are
new love and enduring love, first love and even married love, in a Christmas cornucopia of stories ranging from sweet to searing (and categorized accordingly for your reading delectation). All the stories revolve around the Christmas season, and all the stories will warm your heart. (Several of
the stories will warm you in other places, as well. LOL.) By the time you are finished reading Hearts and Holly, you will all be a true believer in Santa Claus…and you all know that Valentine’s Day is not the only holiday that celebrates love. (Hint: If you a person who cries happy tears, you may want to have a tissue handy.) Happy Holidays…and happy reading. 
Sweet
Not all Gifts come Gift Wrapped Brianna Martini
Flour Power Catherine Grow
Special Delivery Cynthia MacGregor
One Christmas Wish Candy Little
Sexy
Naughty and Nice Tiana Johnson
LoveforChristmas Daisy Dunn
A Special Gift Shashauna P. Thomas
Searing
A Gift from St Nicholas Samantha Gentry


ONE CHRISTMAS WISH
by Candy Little
“If you had one wish for Christmas, what would it be?” Jennie asked.
“I’d wish for someone to love me.” I grabbed an Oreo off the plate on her kitchen table.
“Patty, why do you stay in the marriage if you’re miserable?” She dunked her cookie in her coffee, which made me cringe.
“I have kids to think about.” I gave my standard reply, although I recognized that the truth was that I was scared to be on my own.
“Are things really that bad?” She raised a quizzical red brow.
Jennie has been my best friend since high school and was maid of honor at my wedding, and even though I’d confided in her many times about the problems in my marriage over the last few months, she tended to think I was overreacting. She insisted that Doug loved me, but I just couldn’t see it.
“Things are getting worse every day,” I told her. “He doesn’t appreciate anything. He complains about everything. The house isn’t clean enough, supper isn’t cooked right, I’m spending too much money.” I wiped a tear away. “He never says that he loves me. He doesn’t even bother to hug or kiss me anymore.”
“I’m not saying he doesn’t have faults.” Jennie shrugged. “What man doesn’t?”
“Do you know what I got for Christmas last year? Nothing. Do you know what I got for my birthday? Nothing. Not even a card. Know what I’ll get for Christmas this year? Nothing!”
“But he’s faithful. He’s not cheating on you. That’s more than I can find.” She bit into her cookie a little harder than needed.
“I’m not so sure.” I took a few breaths, calming my aching heart. “His hours at work don’t add up. He goes out on the weekends and yells at me if I ask where’s he’s been.” I started crying. “I can’t take it anymore!”
“Oh, sweetie.” Jennie enveloped me with a hug. “Have you talked to Doug about your suspicions?”
“No.” I sobbed. “He’d just lie about it.”
“You’re probably right about that…but you need to find out the truth.”
“Christmas is in two days. I don’t want to say anything until after the holidays. The kids are so excited.”
“I still don’t believe he’s cheating, but if he is, you’re going to pack up your stuff and move in with me. I’m not going to let my best friend be taken advantage of.” She handed me my coat. “You go home right now and talk to Doug. I’ll expect a call later to fill me in.”
I went home and finished wrapping gifts before the kids got home from school. Then I started supper. I was loading the dishwasher when Doug got home. “Where have you been?”I asked.
“Working!”
“You’re two hours late.”
“Do I have to punch a time clock in my own house?”
“Why do you smell like perfume?”
36
“Why are you interrogating me?” He slammed the refrigerator door shut. “I’m the one working to pay the bills. If it weren’t for my job, we wouldn’t have gifts for Christmas.”
“What gifts?” I cried. “You won’t let me buy anything. The kids have exactly two presents each. That’s it!”
“Are you saying you don’t like the job I’m doing as a husband and father?”
I tried hard to control the emotions roiling inside me, but a few tears slipped out anyway. I somehow found the strength to ask the pressing question that had been weighing on my heart: “Are you bored in this marriage?”
“What?” Doug’s face lost all the anger.
“I mean, ten years is a long time to be with the same person. Is that why you’re looking for someone else?”
Tears welled up, but before I could cry, the smoke detector went off.
“The garlic bread!” I opened the oven door and smoke rolled out, filling the kitchen.
“Great, another burnt dinner.” Doug stalked out of the kitchen, leaving my question unanswered.
As upset as I was, I tried not to show any emotions over the next two days. I wanted the kids to have the best Christmas ever, since it would be their last in this house.
Doug and I didn’t talk at all. He avoided me, and I kept myself busy with baking. There might not be a lot of presents, but the kids would remember all the sweet treats and cookies. Besides, memories are more important than material possessions…or, at least, that’s what my mom always said when we didn’t have enough money to buy things. But I’d always wanted to give my kids more. I didn’t want them feeling left out or unloved because they didn’t have the same things other kids had.
Doug works hard, and we’d always had the necessities, but sometimes money got stretched pretty thin. I hadn’t minded so much before, when at least I felt like he loved me. I would find myself repeating my mom’s sentiment, and the kids never seem to mind. They’re happy with anything they get, no matter how small. When our marriage was happy, I’d made do with less and loved it. But now…well, now things were falling apart, and I found myself worrying about money. My head was full of questions like: What am I going to do? Where can we live? How can I support my kids?
I put the meager presents under the tree and went to bed, feeling lonely and sorry for myself. Doug stayed up, playing our one and only video game. I couldn’t remember a Christmas worse than this one. I cried into my pillow, thinking about the Christmas wish Jennie had asked me. I’d give anything to have someone love me. Once, I’d thought Doug loved me. I told myself, Maybe eventually I’ll find someone else who truly loves me.
That was my last thought as I drifted off to sleep. The next thought came at five in the morning as the kids bounced on the bed, yelling “Mommy, Daddy, Santa came! Santa came! Can we open all our presents?”
Kids get excited over the smallest things, I thought. Only a couple of presents, and they’re just as happy as if it were a hundred.
My mouth fell open, however, when I walked into the living room. Dozens of presents were crammed around the tree. “Where did all these come from?” I asked.
Doug slipped his arms around my waist and squeezed. “Santa came.” He kissed 37
the back of my neck. His breath skimmed along my skin, making it tingle.
I watched in amazement as the kids tore through the gifts, laughing and screaming with delight. After the gifts were all opened, and the paper settled into piles, Doug pulled a box from his shirt pocket.
“I think Santa left this one for you.”
I opened the box and cried, this time with tears of joy, for inside lay a beautiful double heart. One heart had diamonds and the other rubies.
“The two hearts are joined together, just like us.” Doug clasped the necklace around my neck. “Diamonds for strength and rubies for love.”
“How did you manage all this?”
“I took a second job. I’ve been saving for months.” He turned me around, gently kissing my lips. My head spun out of control as I tried to understand what was happening.
“But.…”
“I had to act mad when you asked where I’d been. If you kept asking questions, you might have figured out what was going on, and I wanted to surprise you.”
“But.…”
“I’m not having an affair. I’ll never be bored with you or our life.”
“But.…”
“I smelled like perfume because I was testing them, trying to find one for you.”
“But I didn’t get you anything,” I blurted.
“You’re my present. You’re all I’ll ever need.” His lips touched mine in a gentle kiss that still made my heart flutter. In that moment, I realized Santa had brought me my Christmas wish.
~ ~ ~
Candy Ann Little lives in Michigan with her husband and two teenage kids. She is a substitute for paraprofessionals and teacher assistants in the public schools, mostly working with the autistic program and kids with learning disabilities. Her favorite things to do besides writing are reading, cooking, and baking. She is the author of an inspirational, historical romance, The Unwilling Bride, and a cozy mystery, Death by Broken Heart. Her next book, an inspirational, contemporary romance, Unforgiving Ghosts, will be released in spring of 2012.

To enter for a chance to win an e-book Hearts’n’Holly, please tell Candy your favorite Winter traditions. Then head over to the MAIN Winter’s Favorite page (<< — Click link) to enter the giveaway.
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Interview with Tara Chevrestt….Giveaway of A Facebook Affair

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Tara Chevrestt to our website today. 

Tara: Thrilled to be here.

Q1) Can you tell us a little about yourself 


Tara: Well, first of all, like the heroine of A Facebook Affair, I’m (hearing impaired) deaf. I prefer to say deaf even though I have a enough hearing left to use a huge hearing aid in one ear because “impaired” implies I need fixing and I don’t feel I do. J I’m a book reviewer, a dog mom, a wife, and an aircraft mechanic. And in the last year, I became an author as well.

Q2) Have you always wanted to be an author?

Tara: Yes. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I never said I wanted to be an author, but the idea was always in the back of my mind. I say this because I loved writing. I loved every essay assignment that came my way and I loved it when we had to write stories and make books with illustrations. (I had to stick to horse stories when the tale required illustrating, however, as that was all I could draw, horses and trees. LOL)

Q3) Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?

Tara: That’s a tough one because I love so many writers. I have been especially inspired by Christina Courtenay (Trade Winds, The Scarlet Kimono). I read her work and liked it so much I contacted her and we became friends and I often bounce my ideas off her and get inspiration and encouragement to continue my pursuits from her. I am also a huge fan of Elizabeth Chadwick, Victoria Hislop, Jodi Compton, and Cecilia Samartin. I hope to write like them one day.

Q4) Can you tell us what a typical writing day for you is like.
 
Tara: I work full time so I have to cram my writing in when I can, usually on weekends. I have learned not to dare cook anything while writing, however, as I get so into my story that I tend to burn whatever it is. A typical writing day for me is: I waste the first half of the day pretending to be writing but really, I’m browsing goodreads. I finally start writing in the late afternoon and once I get going, before I realize it, the entire house is dark around me. Time just flies.

Q5) Let’s talk about your new book A Facebook Affair.  Can you tell us a little about it

Tara: It’s about a hard of hearing woman who is coping with the loss of her mother and is feeling really lonely. She joins Facebook to social network and make friends and looks up a boy she knew from long ago. They begin a messaging romance.. but there are some obstacles that could prevent their relationship from ever becoming more than a Facebook affair.

Q6) How did you come up with the idea for this story?

Tara: I was bored one night and began searching for old friends on Facebook as I had recently joined the website. I actually found a boy I remembered from school and he is drop dead gorgeous now. I’m happily married, but I still appreciate looking at gorgeous men. LOL This book is entirely fiction, but the idea came to my head and I sat down and began writing.

Q7) What is up next for you?

Tara: My historical YA novel, Ride for Rights, is due out in February of 2012 so I will most likely be pretty busy with that. Also have a sequel to that on the back burner.

Q8) What is the best piece of advice you would give to a give to someone who is thinking of becoming an author?

Tara: Write about what you love. If you don’t love what you are writing, your readers aren’t going to love what they are reading.

Q9) What is the next book on your To Read Pile that you are dying to jump into?


Tara: As I answer this question, I’m really excited about Victoria Hislop’s The Thread. It isn’t available in the States yet though.

Q10) Is there anything else you would like to add?

Tara: I hope everyone who reads A Facebook Affair, whether they enjoy the romance aspect of it or not, learns something from it and walks away with a greater understanding of what hard of hearing people have to deal with on an everyday basis. And parents, please, teach your kids about the harmful effects of bullying in school.

Books-n-Kisses: Tara, again thank you so very much for making Books-n-Kisses a stop on your book tour.  I have enjoyed learning more about you and your book.  I look forward to reading and see what you come up with next.

Tara: Thank you and I sincerely hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday season. 



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